Culinary Bliss

Toddlers in the Kitchen, a Room Update, and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:23:00 +0000

Spring has finally truly come and we're spending every possible moment outside, playing in the grass and staring intently at the soil, watching to see if our seeds have germinated. I've started almost nothing from seed indoors this year and have just been throwing seeds into the earth and hoping they stick. Our weather has been all over the place, record highs and lows in the same week, so it's anybody's guess. We planted a few new things this year, including corn, and are excited to see what happens. I hope things are warm and green where you are.
Today I'm going to talk about how I get my toddler to help me in the kitchen, and then I'll show you some updated pictures of Ellie's bedroom.

It's important to me to teach Eleanor kitchen literacy from an early age. We cook every day and she has been a part of it since she was born. Like so many things with children, it's temping to just do everything myself so it gets done faster and more accurately, but we've made it a priority to involve Ellie in as many household activities as we can. She has developed some skills that allow her to help more than before, so cooking with her has been so much fun. Here's how we involve her in the fun:

Use her other skills. We've worked a lot with Ellie's fine motor skills with activities like cutting, pouring/transferring, and sorting. These skills transfer to food preparation so when I sit her down with the cutting board, she has experience with the task.

Observe closely and offer help only as needed. Begin by breaking down each step in the process. Ellie's main job with the muffins we were baking was to cut the strawberries. I set down the bowl of washed berries and demonstrated the process one time for her. I pulled the green top off, cut out the core, set the berry on its end, cut it in half, put the halves flat side down on the cutting board, cut each of them in half, and then transferred them to a bowl. I then let her try each step herself. After watching her try a few times, I ended up taking over the coring and first cut but she did the rest. It's important to only offer help when they need it so they can do as much of it as possible on their own. It was my instinct to take the leaves off myself since it preceded the two steps she needed help with, but she really enjoyed that part of the process and was happy to do it herself.

Use authentic and appropriate materials. Ellie works with her toddler knife from her flatware set or her big cutter. She uses the toddler knife at every meal so she's used to holding it. It's metal and fits to her hand so it's easy for her to cut with. She uses our small bamboo cutting board with a damp washcloth underneath so it doesn't slip around. It's important to give the child proper tools so they can achieve some level of success. If you've ever tried to do a job with the wrong tools, you know how discouraging and frustrating it can be.

Switch it up. We were cutting up strawberries for our strawberry rhubarb muffins and Elle was having trouble using her knife because it was a little dull and slippery. I switched to her cutter and she had an easier time.

Be prepared. Have as many of the ingredients ready as possible before you start, and have anything prepped that she can't help with. This way the kiddo gets involved in all the fun parts of cooking without any of the boring or difficult steps slowing them down. As your child gets older, they will be able to help measure but it's a good place to start with just dumping and stirring. Plan for failure by having extra. Use big bowls so that stirring is less likely to result in spills. These bowls have a non skid bottom and are great for kids.

Pick appropriate recipes. Eventually children are able to cook with heat, but we've been sticking with simple recipes, especially baking recipes, that have ingredients that she can touch and taste. She loves strawberries so she was very interested in cutting them. Muffins are easy to make since they just involve combining dry and wet ingredients.

Be patient. Adjust your expectations. Everything will take longer, and it might not come out the way it would if you'd made the recipe yourself. Remember that it's the process that's important, not the result, and both you and your child will get better with practice. Don't set yourself up for frustration and failure by trying to have your child help you put together a dish which needs to be done in a timely manner, and don't cook hungry if you can avoid it.

Have fun, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Finally, I recently updated Ellie's bedroom and thought I'd share some photos with you. I've become ruthless about what I keep in the house these days, and Ellie's room shows that. In my last room tour, you can see that there's a lot more going on. I've tried to make her room more focused and streamlined.

Right to left this time:

You can see that we've removed the potty (She uses a seat on the normal toilet now. So much better for clean up) and her changing table. I was so glad to see that thing go, especially since I got to hand it down to a friend who is expecting her first baby and will also be using Ellie's old crib.

She still loves her floor bed. We've added some art to the walls, which I copied and laminated. They are hung with nails and paper clips which are out of reach, so if she pulls them down (which she usually doesn't) she shouldn't be able to get the clips or nails down. Ideally things would be in mounted frames, but this has worked fine for us. She loves this painting over her bed. (That outlet is non-functioning, by the way.)

Matisse over the dressing area. Those are underpants and training pants in the bucket, so she can get them herself.

She has learned to keep her hands mostly off her cd player, so it's doing fine down on her bookshelf.

I pared down her reading corner just to the things she uses. You can see her dog calendar hanging there. She's obsessed.

Her table is now bare and has a chair from the weaning table in the kitchen. This way it's clear whenever she wants to work on it.

And all the toys that were once stored on it now live in this shelf. It's pressed wood, which I don't love, but it's so great for organizing her toys and reinforcing that everything has a place. The hanging above it is actually a piece of wrapping paper.

We all enjoy being in her room so much and I'm very happy with how it has grown with her. Hopefully this provides you with a little inspiration for your spaces. I've been feeling so good about cleaning things out of the house and hope to keep the momentum going. I have the kitchen to deal with and am itching to get rid of at least a third of the stuff that's clogging up my cabinets. Maybe a garage sale is in order? Scary.

I hope you and yours are well, and please check out Simple Lives!

and link back to a host blog when you link up,

GNOWFGLINS

Sustainable Eats

Spain in Iowa

or here.

1. 25 Uses for Epsom Salts by Preparedness Mama. "Think its just for bath salts and in-grown toe nails-- think again! This little sprinkle of natural goodness is as versatile as MacGyver." 2. Brie Baked in Gluten Free Pie Dough with Apple Pear Compote by Poor and Gluten Free. "We ate the whole gorgeous, decadent, rich, gooey, flaky round of brie for dinner, using slices of pie dough to scoop it up!"
3. The Straw Bale Pallet Crate Garden- Simple, Attractive- and Cheap! by Old World Garden Farms. "So you have little space, little time, little money and you still want to garden."

Simple Egg Drop Soup and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 03 May 2013 02:44:00 +0000

One of the most important lessons I've learned as a parent is to manage my expectations. It's so easy to get frustrated, both with our children and with ourselves, when we begin with expectations about how things should be. I'm trying to let go of my expectations so I can be a more present person. It's an exercise in patience, but I do realize that they are often the source of negative feelings.
I write a food blog, and I love to cook, so I've come to expect meals to be little events. I like putting time into cooking, giving it my full attention, and enjoying the fruits of my labor. But now that I have a child, I am not as interested in spending so much time cooking, particularly on weeknights. Someday I will be able to share the kitchen with her more (though she's becoming more and more involved as she becomes more able) but for now, I want meal preparation to be quick and easy. It's sort of hard to let go of cooking something special and elaborate on a regular basis. I love my chicken enchiladas, but that's a weekend dish now. I have had to change my expectations about what makes a good weeknight meal.
It's very important to think about the words you use to describe your choices. They have a real effect. You could easily call much of our weeknight eating mundane or dull, but I'm learning to find joy and freedom in simplicity. I'm realizing that taking things off the table, reducing options and relying on simple basics, is incredibly liberating. It frees me up to focus on the things that are important to me. And now that we aren't expecting meals to be anything other than tasty and healthy, we're always satisfied.
I have started baking bread on Sundays. Ellie loves helping with the dough and it gives me two loaves to use all week.

This week I made one loaf into a cinnamon raisin loaf, and it was delicious. The toast slathered in butter was pretty incredible.

I've been keeping butter around at room temperature in this butter crock. You just have to be sure to change the water daily and it will last for quite a while.

Today I'm going to share one of the fastest meals we've been making. It comes together in about the same amount of time as it takes to make a salad. It's cheap, tasty, and reheats well.
Depending on what else you're serving, this should feed four people. We usually do 1-2 eggs per person and have lots of leftovers.

Egg Drop Soup

1 yellow onion, chopped

6-8 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1-2 tbsp. soy sauce
4-6 eggs, beaten well
green onions or chives to serve

Fry it in butter or oil until it's translucent. (Not quite ready here)

Add a little water or stock (or beer!) and scrape the good stuff off the bottom of the pan. You could add garlic, too.

Fill the pan the rest of the way with stock and bring to a boil. Let it boil down a bit and then season to taste, adding soy sauce and pepper.

In a bowl or measuring cup, beat the eggs.

Remove the stock and onion mixture from heat and start to stir it so that the liquid is spinning in the pan. As it continues to do so, slowly pour in a thin stream of the beaten eggs. You don't want the soup moving so quickly that the egg just mixes in to the liquid. You need the eggs to almost look scrambled. Continue, doing this in batches, stirring again to get the liquid moving, until you use up all of your eggs.

Serve garnished with green onions or chives, and maybe a drizzle of sesame oil and chili sauce.

That's it.

I've made a simple realization about my home recently. I used to look at pictures of houses (pinterest) and think about the things I could buy to make my house look the way I wanted it to. I've slowly realized that I can do much more for my home (and my sanity) by removing things instead of acquiring them. I realize how simple that sounds, and I'm sure I 'understood' it before, but I'm really starting to live it now and it feels so good.

It really started with having Eleanor. I had an idea of how I want her space to be set up (her room has been updated since this post. I'll try to share soon!) and I realized that the rest of our home should be the same way: spare, uncluttered, useful. Everything should have a place and things that don't fit should be removed. In so many ways, becoming a parent has pushed me to become the person I want to be. I still feel inadequate often, but it has done me so much good. I have so much that I want to learn because I want to teach it to her, but for now I'm concentrating on our surroundings and our use of time.

I cleared out the front closet, getting rid of lots of coats and shoes. It feels great to look at a closet filled only with things I actually wear.

I'm hoping that less stuff is going to help me spend less time cleaning and more time with this kid. I can't wait for warmer weather again. We pulled the wagon out for the first time since the fall and gave it a run around the backyard.

I hope things are going well where you are. Are you experiencing this crazy weather? We were in shorts and sweating early in the week and now I'm bundled up and still chilly.
Thanks as always for dropping by, and please check out Simple Lives Thursday.

1. Our Windmill-- A Sustainable Pump by Live Ready Now! "We dug our well last year with the goal of using a windmill pump. Our idea of living sustainably means we aren't dependent on the availability of fossil fuels or grid power to exist."

2. Kale Paneer (gluten free) by Stealthy Mom. "Saag Paneer is a creamy, spicy dish of green (saag) and homemade cheese (paneer). It was one of my favourites when dining out in college and a rarely seen delight here in the Midwest. "

3. How to Plant a Cottage-Style Window Box by Livin' In The Green. "What brings to mind the cozy look of a cottage more than a window box?"

Ina's Sticky Toffee Date Cake and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:56:00 +0000

I am trying to think of a way to start this post that doesn't include an excuse or an apology, because I really don't think either is necessary, but I do want to be clear that I'm not happy about being gone from here for so long.
Things have been insane, NUTS, but are getting so much better than the last time I wrote here. I am so thankful. Things haven't been all fantastic (water in the basement is the worst) but we're on a major uptrend without a doubt. Thank you for sticking around.
I haven't talked to you since Easter. Easter! It was Ellie's first real one. We're having a lot of those this year, second firsts. She had so much fun opening her little basket at home first thing in the morning. We filled her eggs with raisins, puffs, and dark chocolate chips, knowing she'd be getting plenty of real candy later on. I also made sure she got plenty of non-food stuff, like this book, which was a huge hit, a new toothbrush and some little toys.

She spent the afternoon hunting eggs and opening and closing (and opening and closing) them with her cousins in her special Easter dress. She didn't eat too much candy, and the adults managed to polish off what was leftover within a few days. We have found candy to be like tv. I don't want to completely cut it out of her life, but I do keep it to a bare minimum and always feel reaffirmed when she does get her hands on them because of her behavior. She gets SO insistent about more more more of both of these things, but when they're out of sight for a while, she forgets about them. I want them both to continue to be special and rare.

I decided to cook something super sweet for Easter. Since I had always wanted to make sticky toffee pudding, I decided to go for it. When I found Ina's recipe that is made with dates, I knew I'd found my match.

Do you eat dates? I don't think I did before I started working with people from the Middle East. They are incredible. They are sweet but also full of fiber. I love using them in recipes (like the almond milk I recently shared) or eating straight out of hand, smeared with peanut butter. Check your local bulk store to try out a few different kinds. You can also find them at Middle Eastern grocery stores. They tend to be vacuum sealed and very inexpensive. This cake is made with dried medjool dates.

This recipe is easy but quite strange. Don't expect it to look like any cake you've ever made before. I made it in a cupcake pan instead of a 9 in. cake pan.
*Please note that this made a ton of individual cupcakes. I stopped at two dozen but it could have easily made another dozen, if not more. I'm sharing Ina's amounts with my photos so you can see what the cakes will look like.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake
from Ina Garten

for the cake:

3/4 lb. dates, pitted and chopped

1 3/4 c. water

1 tsp. baking soda

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup organic evaporated cane juice

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1.5 tbsp. baking powder

For the sauce:

1.5 sticks butter

1 c. light brown sugar

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

Begin by chopping the dates and putting them into a pot with the water. It will start smelling good now.

Bring to a boil. Simmer one minute and remove from heat.

Add the soda. Be careful as it will bubble up.

Meanwhile, start the butter and sugar creaming in your mixer. I did this while the dates were coming to a boil. Bonus points if you have a buddy.

Add the eggs, one by one, and then the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt, and then add very slowly to the butter/sugar/egg mix.

Then pour in your hot date mixture. (Remove any buddies before pouring hot date syrup.)

It's going to look like this and you're going to think it's crazy, but it's not.

Add the baking powder. Again it'll bubble up, so be prepared. It'll start looking a little better now.

Pour into greased cupcake pans. Bake at 350 for 30ish minutes, using a toothpick to check doneness. It will come out clean when they're ready.

The sauce is a simple caramel sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients except vanilla in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for one minute. Pull it from the heat and add the vanilla.

Once the cakes are finished, pull them from the oven and poke them all over with a toothpick or skewer. This gives the sauce somewhere to settle. Pour the warm sauce over the warm cupcakes. Let them sit until they're at room temperature and serve upside down with fresh whipped cream on top.

So good. Even better the next day.

Other good things:

Azure Standard. We've been buying from Azure monthly and are very happy with the products and pricing. Here's one order of frozen organic mixed vegetables and broccoli, frozen blueberries

organic avocados,onions, carrots, and nut thins. The boxes are delivered to a drop point each month. Azure has made a good dent in our food budget, so please check them out to see if there's a drop in your area.

Ellie's work. It's getting more interesting and she's getting more confident. I'm focusing on reinforcing picking up an activity, doing it, and then putting it back. It's difficult but we're improving. In this exercise, she's putting animal beads on a stick, a precursor to threading. She wanted to do it in front of her mirror, which I thought was a great idea. I'm sorry it's so dirty, but it belongs to a toddler.

Super simple dinners. Eggs over quinoa and spinach, sprinkled with spicy salt.

I've been sewing again. I moved the machine up into the living room and sewing in front of the picture window in bright sun. This is my new favorite place.

Being outside. Bulbs in the ground. (Glads and cannas) Hands in the dirt.

This kid. And worms!!

You guys, of course.

And Simple Lives! It's Thursday so please check to see all the great posts that are linked up, and the best of last week's contributions.

Remember that we four host:

GNOWFGLINS

Sustainable Eats

Spain in Iowa

1. Garden Tip: Building Good Soil by 6512 and growing. "It's mid-April and I'm roaming my property like a fat land baron, bending down to sift the gold of our soil through my fingers, cackling at my riches. Actually, I'm really doing this. "

2. Tea Cup or Mug Pin Cushion Tutorial by Practical Stewardship. "Here is a super fast no-sew tutorial that you could put together in under five minutes. This would be great project even for a preschooler to make, since it would make a lovely gift with little effort."
3. What to do with Extra Eggs? by The Self Sufficient HomeAcre. "So now you have extra eggs on hand and maybe the fridge is filling up with egg cartons. What to do with all these little treasures?"

Link Love and SLT

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:55:00 +0000

The next 48 hours of my life have been planned to the last minute and I'm still not sure I'll have time to get to everything. But things are looking up. The tulips are actually starting to come up. Even though the days have been starting out in the 30s, they've been ending in the 50s. Ellie has developed a love for the bike trailer, which means our summer will be full of bike adventures. And I'm having a pretty good hair day.
How are you?
Here are a few links that I've been reading:

This blogger wrote about slowing down, and the sacrifices that come with it. I feel a lot of what's in this post and written about some of it here.

If you want to boycott Monsanto, here's a list of companies to avoid.

A 15 year Australian study looking at the link between breastfeeding and child abuse. "CONCLUSION. Among other factors, breastfeeding may help to protect against maternally perpetrated child maltreatment, particularly child neglect. "

Speaking of breastfeeding, if you don't support public breastfeeding you don't support breastfeeding. We need to support ALL forms of breastfeeding, no "ifs".

Life hacker helps us deal with self-doubt, something everyone struggles with.

Mannequins in Sweden that look a lot more like the average woman.

Cicadas!!! I can't wait. The gif of the cicada shedding its shell is a little disturbing though. When I was a small child, there was a tree in my neighborhood that they loved. I remember their shells raining down from its branches.

I kind of need one of Maggie's Whitman broadsides, but we're in a budget crunch. Buy one and send me pictures of it on your wall, ok? Soon there will be lilacs and they'll have to do. Maggie has been a huge influence on my life, especially when it comes to poetry.

Iowa City people, it's Mission Creek time!

Finally, check out Simple Lives Thursday, which is filled to the brim with great links from around the web about consuming less and producing more. Have a look around and link up!

GNOWFGLINS

Sustainable Eats

Spain in Iowa

1. Lemon Coconut Ice Cream by Modern Alternative Kitchen. "The creamy sweetness of the coconut milk offset by the tartness of the lemon will keep your taste buds guessing in this delicious treat."

2. Fudge Stars by The Distracted Housewife. "Oh, I do love these candies, if you want to call them that."

3. Testing Old Seeds for Viability by Learning and Yearning. "Perhaps you have some old packets of seed and are wondering if you may use them this year in your garden. Well, that depends."

Grounded and SLT

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 03:50:00 +0000

Our home was built in 1946, which means none of the original outlets are grounded. We've slowly gone through the house and had grounded outlets put in, room by room. That third little hole, connecting the current to the safety of the earth, is so important.

Our lives feel a bit like chaos right now. I say 'feels like' because it's relative, and I know things could be much worse, but things are not as settled as they usually are. I try to embrace times like this because I know they will soon pass and things will be quiet again, but some moments I feel dizzy, like the earth beneath my feet is moving when it once was so solid. (Or at least I thought it was.)

But I stick to my routines to keep things going. I get out of bed and put my feet onto the cold floor and go to work. I dress, grind the coffee. I do a load of laundry, even though there is so much more than usual to do because Ellie was sick for a full week and I've never changed more sheets in my life. I push seeds into the dirt because it's March and I'm already behind.

I throw something, anything together for dinner and pack it for tomorrow's lunch.

I put one foot in front of the other.

I nurse and rock her to sleep for her nap and hold her body for a minute after she falls asleep.

Somewhere in there, I remember to breathe. In the chaos, I have to come back to the breath to keep me here, grounded in the incredible gift that is the present. I take a few moments to clear my mind and be quiet, making room for nothingness, when it feels like the whole world demands my attention. I stop and look at her while she's sleeping and feel her peace. I remember feeling these heels inside my body.

Often I fail. I stumble. The laundry stays in the washing machine overnight or sits unfolded in a basket for a day or two. The dog doesn't get fed dinner until 9. I forget to put wipes in the baby bag. I neglect to water the seedlings for two days. I don't photograph a single thing that I cook, and blog posts don't go up when they're supposed to.

I know it's a part of my journey. I am taking it in stride and showing up, doing what I can and forgiving myself for the rest.

Ellie has clean sheets, even if I don't. I still come here to write, even if it's short and late. The dog still gets fed and cuddled. And I still go to bed feeling so lucky.

I just have to take a moment and find my ground again.

How is your week going? During the holidays, my husband looked at me and said, "I'd give anything for a boring week." Do you ever feel that way?

I'm late getting it up, but it's still Simple Lives Thursday. Please have a look around at the posts and our great host blogs

GNOWFGLINS

Sustainable Eats

Spain in Iowa

and link up your posts about consuming less and producing more.

1. Creating a Simple and Inexpensive Rain Water Collection System by Old World Garden Farms. "Visitors to the farm are usually surprised to learn that we water the entire garden and landscape with reclaimed rain water."

2. Grain-Free Cinnamon Raisin "Oatmeal" by Sift, Stir & Savour. "...isn't that a bowl of oatmeal? Nope. Believe it or not that is a big bowl of creamy, delicious, sweet..." 3. Women's Dress to Girl's Skirt--A Tutorial by Five Kids & An Acre. "Spring on our acre means we are beginning our wardrobe change over. This year we have some dresses that are in sizes that we cannot use."

Spring and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:29:00 +0000

I'm on vacation. I don't want to complain because I haven't had to get up early, put real pants on, or deal with my office in a few days, but it has been a sort of rough break. We're going through some stuff in my extended family that I can't talk about, but is taxing us all. E has been throwing up for the last two days at random times, so I feel housebound even though I have errands to run. We've had snow and record lows all week.

But there have been so many good things. Even though she's "sick", E seems to feel normal and is her chipper self between bouts of vomit, and she's even learned to throw up right into her little toilet. (So sad.) She is potty training, entirely by her own direction, and doing a great job. Even though it's been cold, the sun has been shining. And for everything we've gone through as a family, we're able to laugh and be in the moment because we all recognize how much it heals us. There have been times this week that I needed to use my relaxation techniques to keep from panicking, and I am so thankful to have them.

I've been reading some great stuff on the web, too.

I love this post called I Was a Bad Mama Today. It very authentically takes the reader through the emotional roller-coaster of being a parent who cares. As Megan Nathanson said in this post about a tough day, "Although I do not wish to invite more experiences like this one, I do see that if we as mothers never failed, our children would never have the opportunity to learn about apology and forgiveness."

I've been using activated charcoal to whiten my teeth and it's working!

The next time I can't think of anything for dinner, I'm going to try this egg drop soup. Maybe we'll have these bananas for dessert.

My sweet friend and neighbor Karrey wrote about her pumping routine on her blog and gave a shoutout to my lactation cookies. Thanks, Karrey! Yay, boobs!

Lastly, do you read the Writer's Almanac? I read it most days, but sometimes skip it. My husband sent this one to me and called it funny but a bit sad. I saw what he was saying, but I honestly find the poem to be hopeful. It's easy to find sadness and disappointment in finding that our expectations don't meet our reality, but true self reflection can lead to growth. I'm trying to be more honest with myself, and that means sometimes seeing myself as I truly am, not as I want to be. This poem is good for this time in my life, and for this time of year.

The Sometime Sportsman Greets the Spring
By John Updike

When winter's glaze is lifted from the greens,
And cups are freshly cut, and birdies sing,
Triumphantly the stifled golfer preens
In cleats and slacks once more, and checks his swing.

This year, he vows, his head will steady be,
His weight-shift smooth, his grip and stance ideal;
And so they are, until upon the tee
Befall the old contortions of the real.

So, too, the tennis-player, torpid from
Hibernal months of television sports,
Perfects his serve and feels his knees become
Sheer muscle in their unaccustomed shorts.

Right arm relaxed, the left controls the toss,
Which shall be high, so that the racket face
Shall at a certain angle sweep across
The floated sphere with gutty strings--an ace!

The mind's eye sees it all until upon
The courts of life the faulty way we played
In other summers rolls back with the sun.
Hope springs eternally, but spring hopes fade.

It's Simple Lives Thursday. Won't you have a look around?

Please link up and check out the featured posts and the host blogs!

GNOWFGLINS

Sustainable Eats

Spain in Iowa

1. Vinegar Uses for the Garden by Jo's Health Corner. "I think one of the best things to have at home is vinegar since it has so many uses."

2. And the breakfast award goes to... by The Distracted Housewife. "Pear Crisp. Yes, for breakfast."
3. A Housekeeping Plan in 1907 by The Farmer's Wife Quilt. "The routine, which can easily be followed by the average housekeeper, will result in a well kept, orderly home, and leave the afternoons free for sewing, mending, shopping, visiting, reading and resting. The care of little children will, however, often overturn all plans, and the housewife must then just do the best she can."

Dancin', Coconut Oil Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups, and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:25:00 +0000

Have you ever suddenly gotten a glimpse of your life through someone else's eyes?
E's grandpa gave her this silly cd for Christmas called Dance, Baby, Dance! and it cracks me UP. It's basically techno versions of your favorite kids songs, from Old McDonald to Twinkle Twinkle. (yes, techno Twinkle Twinkle. Please click over to Amazon and listen to some of the previews) When we first put it in the cd player, we were all sort of stunned. It's pretty intense (but surprisingly well done) techno dance music with familiar melodies and funny sounds like barking dogs and giggling children weaved throughout. Over time, it's become the only music E really likes to listen to in the car. Instead of dreading it, we've embraced it started making our morning and afternoon commute into a dance party. We fist pump, clap, wiggle back and forth, and SIIIIIIING for the 10 minutes we're in the car each trip. It has become a fun ritual for starting and ending the day outside of the house and she's pretty insistent that we all dance when we're in the car.
This morning I was driving her to daycare alone because my husband is sick. He usually sits in the back with her so they can interact but today she was alone, so the major clapping and dancing responsibilities were left to me. At a stop light, I really hammed up the clapping that is so good on Hush Little Baby, watching her join me in her kiddo mirror. (Yes, we have one. Yes, I know they're not super-safe.) The light changed and I checked my rear-view mirror and noticed that the driver and passenger of the car behind me were laughing and grinning ear to ear watching me put on a show for E. At first, I was honestly flushed with embarrassment, because the techno (seriously, it's techno, have I said that enough?) is bassy and E insists that it be turned up, so the car was probably shaking in that obnoxious way that they do, and I was making a total fool of myself with these huge exaggerated claps in my mittens, waving side to side like a crazy person. But then I saw what they must have seen: a mama having so much fun with her little one. And then I teared up and smiled the rest of the short ride to daycare. In just a few years, she might think this cd is stupid and so is dancing with mom. At the very least, she'll probably never love it again as much as she loves it now. Someday, when she's 25, I'll pop in this cd and be transported back to this moment, in the way that only music and smells really can. This music feels so modern now. What will popular music sound like then?
To me, this is what mindful parenting is all about. Finding moments in your normal routine to just sit back and reflect, to see that these everyday details are what make up our lives, and that they're passing. I have a new appreciation for the joy this music brings to her. I have renewed my amazement at the fact that she has clear desires and can communicate them to me. I feel so lucky to share this silly little thing with her, and I am so thankful to those smiling people for helping remind me of that. It's so easy as a parent to resent the drudgery and work of parenting, and I know E's fascination with repetition is just beginning. (In this special, Louis CK describes parenting as "so boring", and we haven't reached that point, but I still so much appreciate his humor, especially about parenting. I watched on Netflix. This clip about children asking why is spot on, as is this one about the difference between boys and girls. Don't watch if you're easily offended, though.)
I'm trying to enjoy the last few moments of this winter, too. It is so easy to wish winter away, especially with all the snow we've gotten, but I hate to see time pass. Unlike summer tomatoes and peaches, it can be hard to find things to be excited about in the winter kitchen but we're getting by.
I recently ordered about 40 pounds of citrus from California through a friend and we've been eating these mandarins and grapefruits non-stop. I don't think I've ever consumed so much grapefruit in my life and I still can't get enough.

Hot tea and oranges almost every afternoon. Hibiscus tea is the most beautiful.

I supremed some of the fruit and mixed the juices with lime juice, honey, and basil.

I think the compost heap is about 80% citrus. (This is so gross but that's what March compost looks like, ok?) The other 20% might be coffee grounds.

E and I have been sharing smoothies a lot recently. They're fun to make since she loves pushing the button on the blender and it's an easy way to get lots of fruit and vegetables in her diet. We have been drizzling coconut oil on top until it solidifies for a crunchy topping. She always eats hers first and asks for more, so I get to share.

(Dear Vitamix, send me a blender. Love, Alicia)

I've been having the smoothies with fried eggs over this toast. So good.
We've also been making some very special treats out of coconut oil. The recipe is from Lisa at Thrive Style and is so good that I have to force myself to hold back from reaching into the freezer for another one (or two...or three) after dinner. I can't recommend them enough to you because they taste just as good as conventional candy and are so easy to make. It'd be great to let the kiddos help you with this one.

Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups
from Thrive Style

4 tbsp. coconut oil, melted and divided in half. (use organic cold pressed)
8 tbsp. peanut butter, divided in half.
2-4 tsp. maple syrup (or sweetener of your choice)
1/4 c. cocoa powder

You're going to mix and compose the cups in two layers. First, mix half the coconut oil and peanut butter with 1-2 tsp. of sweetener. Taste to be sure it's sweet enough for you. You can warm your coconut oil in the glass jar in a pan of warm water on the stove. I mix in a Pyrex measuring cup so it's easy to pour.

It should be smooth and pourable.

Pour this mix into a lined mini-muffin tin, filling each cup halfway. I haven't tried it without the liners but it could work.

Stick the pan in the freezer and be sure it sits flat. Then prepare the next layer. Do the exact same thing, but this time add 1/4 c. of your favorite cocoa powder. I used a dark chocolate cocoa powder. If you're really good you'll use something raw and unprocessed.

Share. Make a mess. Lick the spoon.

Pull the cups out of the freezer. The coconut oil sets up very quickly.

Pour the chocolate layer directly on top of the peanut butter one.

Pop 'em back in the freezer.

Once they're set up, peel off the paper and eat.

They're soft enough to eat directly from the freezer but are softer kept in the fridge. The oil will melt at a low temp so don't plan to have them sitting out for long. They are SO good.

Are you enjoying the last few moments of winter? Or are you more than ready to see it go? Tell me all about it, and stay warm.
Please link up for Simple Lives Thursday and check out the featured posts and the host blogs!

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Sustainable Eats

Spain in Iowa

1. Shamrock Shake Season by WHOLEmade. "There is nothing but wholesome stuff here- and even the minty green color is naturally made by the ingredients (no food coloring here!)."
2. Quick Tip, Less Weeding and Save Water by The Redeemed Gardener. "Here is a quick way to conserve water, keep down unwanted grass and weeds in your garden and it doesn't cost too much"
3. Orange-Cream Layered Jigglers by Girl Meets Nourishment. "I LOVED creamsicles growing up. I worked in an ice cream parlor for summer jobs in high school and I would make creamsicle frappes with orange soda and rich vanilla ice cream. These little jigglers are better than candy, they truly are like mini-creamsicles in your mouth."

An Easy DIY No-Sew Montessori Placement and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:13:00 +0000

I have a coffee mug at work. It's huge and says "World's Best Teacher" in IPA. I drink coffee from it every day, usually multiple small cups throughout the morning. After Ellie was born, I took 10 weeks off from work. When I returned, I felt like a completely different person. I knew that my brain had changed, in a very literal sense, and that everything about me felt different. Coffee meant more to me than ever when I returned. I'd gotten used to drinking much less during pregnancy but that cup was a vital symbol of the start of the day at a time when the line between day at night was a little blurry. My work cup of coffee marked my entrance to the office, as Alicia the Employee. But the strangest thing happened when I returned to work after those 10 weeks; I looked into the cabinet full of coffee mugs and didn't recognize mine. I paused there for a few moments and thought hard about something that had been so completely automatic for me just a few weeks before. I finally recognized it and poured my cup, but frankly I was a little rattled. What else had I forgotten? By building new connections in my brain for Ellie, how she smelled and moved, the easiest way to get socks onto those little feet, how her breathing changed right before she woke up, and all the subtle details that go into taking care of an infant, I'd lost some connections, or at least weakened them.

Like all children do at some point, Elle hit a language burst around 14 months when she suddenly realized that everything has a name and she wanted to know it. She started learning new things so quickly. She would literally wake up from a nap and know something that she didn't know before she fell asleep. She's still going through this insane period of rapid growth and I hope it never stops. When it first started, I was just blown away. When you're a first-time parent, every minute thing your child does is incredible. When you meet them, their sighs and sneezes are better than any concert or television show you've ever seen. The first laughs send you into tears. By the time they're taking their first steps, things feel like they're moving too quickly. You barely have time to enjoy one development before it's gone and the next one begins. And when they start talking, it's pretty much the most incredible thing ever because you're finally gaining access into their brains. I work in language, so when those first words came, I marveled. (Her first word, by the way, was "wow!" which is so perfect that I don't have words to describe it.) I remember holding her and nursing her to sleep when this phase had just started. I recalled the earliest days when I'd hold her on my belly and try to imagine her inside me, barely able to understand that somehow she'd once lived in my body. I wondered if she remembered what it was like to be in the womb. I felt a pang of sadness as she nursed because I knew that all these new words and ideas would push out those memories of being a part of me, and that one day she might not remember nursing at all, either.

Every night, she goes to sleep as one person and wakes up a different one the next. Every day she becomes someone new, and leaves the old behind. I realized this, and a few moments later realized that the very same is true of me.

I've been thinking a lot about the things I've left behind to become a good mother. I am lucky to be naturally good at living in the moment, and things right now are so good, but it's hard for me to let go of looking back and forward. I'm trying my best to let go of the past and not worry about the future. It's difficult. It's one lesson that parenting has brought to me in a way that nothing else ever has.
I try to remember what our nightly routines looked like before Ellie was born, or even before we had a dog. Now, our routine is somewhat strict, which I sometimes resent but mostly love. It's hard to imagine life any other way.

One of the most important parts of our routine is meal time. It's important to me that we sit down for dinner and we do every night. In the Montessori style of child-rearing, routine is incredibly important and children are expected to take part in family routines as quickly as possible. We've tried to incorporate some of this philosophy into our kitchen by giving Ellie her own space.
Here's Ellie's kitchen area:

Would you believe me if I told you I thrifted the kitchen for $5?

When she was younger, we filled the cabinets with her plastic dish ware but it just wasn't working. She'd just pull everything out and throw it all over the room.

Now this is what it looks like: (most of the time)

One plate. One bowl. One cup. One pitcher. (All glass/ceramic.) And this set of toddler silverware in her pitcher. There are also a couple towels in case of spills, which pretty much always happen.
We try to get her dishes out of this cabinet before each meal, but honestly it doesn't always happen. At this point, the important part for me is that she has a small portion on her plate and she eats with silverware. Often she puts her own food on her plate. She always pours her own water from the pitcher to the cup. We've been working on this water station lately:

She really loves to drink water so I like having it available to her at all times, and opening and closing the spigot is great for practicing fine motor skills. Yes, we still have lots of spilling, but almost no playing, which is a big development.

When we finally bought her flatware I wanted to try a Montessori-style placemat for her. It models the basic place setting. I like to sew but wanted to throw one together quickly and am pretty happy with how this one came out. **I have only spot-cleaned the placemat. I'm not sure it'd make it through the washing machine intact.**

Here's what you'll need to make your own placemat:

an iron
a cotton placemat
patterned or colored fabric
heavy duty Wonder Under fusible web.

Here's a closeup of the Wonder Under label front

and back

You'll first iron it on to the colored fabric and then iron that directly on to the placemat.

Begin by putting all the dishes on the Wonder Under. You just need enough to cover the bottom of the plate and glass and around each of the pieces of silverware. Just cut a big rectangle. No need to be exact. You'll iron this rectangle onto the colored fabric and use that to cut out the shapes.

Iron the full rectangle on to the colored fabric.

Outline the dishes with a marker on the Wonder Under. Cut everything out.

Peel the Wonder Under off the pieces. The fabric will feel sticky.

Position them on the placemat. Put down a damp towel between the fabric and the iron so that the hot iron doesn't overheat the Wonder Under. Iron and press firmly.

Done. You can run a cooler iron over the pieces just to finish up if you'd like.

This would be a good activity for older kiddos to help with.

Ellie still doesn't get how to put all her pieces in their places, but I think reinforcing it at every meal will help her get it soon.

Have you ever used a Montessori placemat, or any other Montessori techniques with your tots? I'm finally reading The Absorbent Mind and it's remarkable how much she got right that psychology has since proven. I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
Finally, it's Simple Lives Thursday! Please grab the badge from my blog or another hosting blog:

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Sustainable Eats

Spain in Iowa

link up, and have a look around.

1. Homemade Zucchini Bar Recipe by Our Heavenly Homestead. "If you are anything like me, you are still trying to use up the numerous bags in the freezer of shredded zucchini from the last couple of seasons. If not you can just buy a couple and still make this amazing dessert."
2. DIY Baby Legwarmers by Purposefully Simple. "A while back I found a tutorial (or two) floating around Pinterest for DIY baby legwarmers and I thought they were super cute and functional (no need to take them off for diaper changes!) so I've been on the look out for discounted knee socks so I could make some."

3. Making a Rainbow Cake with All Natural Food Coloring Review-Does it Work? by Green Idea Reviews. "Colored baked goods to suit your fancy is a fun way to express yourself in the kitchen. But the artificial dyes used to do this are generally chemicals that have a shady history and are hazardous to your health."

Link Love and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:49:00 +0000

I have a post rolling around in my brain that requires some real thought, but I have a busy afternoon ahead of me getting ready for the snowpocolypse, so I'm going to share a few links and come back another day.

Iowa Valley Food Co-op used a recipe from my blog for pot stickers in their newsletter this month. I love the recipe and the beef from the Co-op is the best around. Have a look and consider signing up for the Co-op.

This article on becoming a mother is so so right. I was lucky enough to have escaped PPD and PPA, but I certainly mourned the loss of my old life. I have so much to say about this, and have written things in my journal about it that I've considered sharing here, but this post does a great job of getting across what the experience can be like. And the comments are full of other important stories.

Lauren's post on mama nervosa about taking time for yourself is speaking to me. I still haven't done a great job of carving out time for exercise, but we've started getting the yoga mat out together and Ellie's downdog is great. I joined a book club so I have to read the books and spend two hours each month talking about life and meaning with a group of bright women (who also happen to love great food and tea, which is fantastic) and it's been so good for me.

Lauren links to this article by Janet Lansbury which I've read over and over this week. Expectations of our children's behavior is so important.

Sign this petition to honor the teacher of Cesar Chavez.

Get your shit together. Important legal stuff for parents, and everyone, to do.

Check out this great site that helps you organize and plan your garden.

I can't wait to try this recipe for homemade blush.

My students are reading about black history right now, so I was very interested in this program. Sometimes I have to remind myself to turn off news radio and turn on the classical station. It makes everyone calmer.

I share a poem with my husband every Valentine's Day. This is this year's poem.

I have been plotting a batch of sauerkraut, but this kimchi caught my eye. This blog is absolutely beautiful.

I read this book for my book club, and while I didn't love it, it taught me quite a few things. I now have a somewhat silly list that tells me all the things that need to be done each night and it's actually helped me stay on task. It's encouraged quite a few other good behaviors, like not putting off anything that can be done in under a minute.

I often share links like these between blog posts on my pinterest and facebook pages, so follow me there if you're into that.

Finally, it's SIMPLE LIVES THURSDAY!
Check out the awesome stuff people are doing and link up, being sure to link back to this blog or one of the other hosts

GNOWFGLINS

Sustainable Eats

Spain in Iowa

1. 40 Ingenious Uses For Salt Around The Home by Natural Mothers Network. "As salt is such an abundant and sustainable resource, it makes sense to use it in preference to toxic cleaners and preservatives where and when we can." 2. Nata by mossgrownstone. "Nata is candied mother (or SCOBY or jun)- something I never thought of until I saw it in The Art of Fermentation" 3. Elderflower Water: A Homemade Hydrosol by Our Heritage of Health. "I was snowed-in this past weekend with a blizzard, so I finally did something I've been wanting to try for a little while-making my own elderflower water."

Ellie's Toddler Room and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:00:00 +0000

I am one of those lucky people who go to know my great grandparents. They were incredible people and I am so thankful that they were so present in my early life. I have distinct memories of their home (where my beautiful rug once lived) all of which take place at an age when their beds were at eye level for me. My great-grandfather is someone what I wish I could meet again as an adult. He deeply felt the need to create. He was constantly making little things, usually of porcelain that he painted, and giving them to us children. He was a builder and a fiddler, and I remember his workbench in the basement being organized and full of treasures. He was a diligent recorder of family history and I remember pulling photo books down to have them read to me again and again, looking for my spot on the tree. Their home was next to a small river and being there always meant discovery and exploration.
I realized at some point that he and my grandmother didn't actually share a bedroom, which was a complete shock to me at the time. My home was built at a similar time, which I suspect was a contributing factor in us wanting to buy it, and has the exact same bedroom layout: a hall off the main living area separates two equally sized bedrooms with a small, narrow bathroom in between. There's no "master suite" to be found. We chose the bedroom farthest from the street to be ours and eventually made the other one Ellie's. We love having her so close, and with the floor bed, if she needs us, she simply opens her door and walks down the hall. The rest of the house is closed off at night, so it's safe for her to be in her room or with us.
Today I'm going to show you what Ellie's room looks like. It's set up to be completely safe for her, though she rarely spends time in there completely unsupervised. She prefers to play alone but with us near her.
We had Ellie next to the bed in a bassinet for the first few weeks of her life and eventually she moved between a pack and play next to the bed for the first half of the night and into our bed after the first wakeup. This just worked for us until she was about nine months old when bed sharing just wasn't working for HER anymore. She was too stimulated being with us. She'd roll around, flail her arms, and didn't get rest. Transitioning her to the crib we'd purchased and set up down the hall when she was born was much easier than I thought it would be. She simply prefers to sleep alone. I was prepared to cosleep (despite how much it hurt my back) if it meant more sleep for us all, but it didn't.
She was only in the crib for a few months before we decided to transition her to the floor bed. We transitioned her at 13 months when we completely revamped her room. Here's a very incomplete "before" picture of the "nursery", which was typical: pictures on the walls, long curtains, pretty little crib. It wasn't really being used at this point.

And here are some photos from earlier this week. Her room gets the best afternoon light in the house and I love pulling back the blackout curtains to let the sun stream in the windows.

Left to right: The changing table is unpictured but it's right inside the door. Then comes the glider, which is much more comfortable than the rocker. She has a little reading corner with a rocking chair and book shelf. (We need about 12 more bookshelves, but this one houses her favorites right now.) The sweet chest in the corner holds all her extra sheets, blankets, and stuffed animals. She's messing around with the potty chair these days, so I keep it out for her. Under the West window is her main work table with a few activities. The right corner has floor pillows for cuddling and reading and her bed is just inside the doorway.
She has this pendant light from Ikea, which is way too dim but makes the coolest shadows on the walls.

We couldn't be happier with the floor bed. I wish we'd transitioned her sooner. It's just her crib mattress on the floor. She ended up crawling around the floor a bit on the first few nights but got it after that. She does still mostly fall asleep in my arms. Hopefully someday she'll just put herself to bed like magic.

Cuddle corner. I got these two unused floor pillows from Freecycle and sewed the covers from fabric I had sitting around. The other pillow is made from a chenille bedspread that I loved and my mother secretly bought for me. She's so good. You can see her pajamas hanging up in this picture. We hang them up each morning when she gets dressed and she gets them when I get her ready for bed at night.

The little table was actually left with the house. The corners are a little sharp so we try to keep them covered with the bumpers, but like most baby-proofing stuff they just seem to attract her attention.

The table is the perfect height for her to work at and it's so pleasant with the sun shining in. I can't wait for summer when we can open these windows again.

The reading corner. When Ellie was first born, we bought a bunch of little quilts from thrift stores. They so easy to throw around under everything. Her great grandparents bought her the rocker which has a music box attached to it so it plays when she rocks. Mostly she just loves climbing up, grabbing a book, and sitting in her chair, pointing at the book. You can see her little dog calendar hanging up here. It's too high because she can't see it very well, but she sure knows it's dogs and loves pointing at it and saying "arf arf!". It's quite a thrill to change the picture each month, too. The big elephant was a Christmas gift from Ikea and my grandmother gave us the bug for my baby shower. It has a light inside and displays stars and the moon on the ceiling while playing soothing baby music or white noise. It's pretty much the coolest.

Her favorite books right now. Charlie Parker Played Bebop is really fun, and every toddler should have some kind of picture dictionary. This one is just ok.

We still have her changing table in the corner. It holds all her cloth diapering stuff. Her dirty clothes basket is on the bottom shelf. She puts her clothes in there when she gets undressed. The main worry with babyproofing rooms is to keep children from pulling furniture on them so most people bolt down anything heavy. This table is really light and I don't think it would hurt her if it fell over. That said, I think we're going to get rid of it soon because we rarely get to actually change her up on top.

The shelf above the changing table holds her disposables for night time (cloth overnight has given her a rash) diaper creams, extra pacifiers, and socks and shoes. Again, this isn't the safest thing so we're trying to wean her from the loud white noise and get rid of the CD player. I've tried repeatedly to leave it down but she can't keep her hands out of it. Working on it. Cloth diapers go in the metal trash can on the right and trash on the left.

You can also see an outfit hanging on that shelf. One of the things I've learned to do to make my life easier is to pick out and compose a bunch of outfits for Ellie ahead of time. When we do laundry on the weekends, I bring all her stuff in her room and hang it up as outfits. Then I bring two out each day for her to choose from. This photo shows the outfit that wasn't chosen that day. She'll get another one to pick from the next day. Sometimes she passes over the same outfit for days before finally choosing it.

Here are some of her outfits in her closet. It's also home to her toys that she's not using. We try to rotate only a few at a time so there's never too much out at once. I go through her closet every few weeks and weed out things that don't fit or suit her anymore. I've got a box in there of clothes and toys that she'll use in the future.

To the left I have baskets and containers that I use to present activities. (And a pink tent, of course.)

And that's it! Of course it's not always this clean, but I can usually return it to this state in just a few minutes. Managing the clutter is constant but it's worth it to keep up on it. I just need to get that done in the rest of my house.

Here she is asking to go outside. "SNOW" she says.

And eating Tiny But Mighty popcorn and watching Sign Time.

I hope you enjoyed our little tour, and please ask in the comments if you have any questions. Does your little one sleep on a floor bed? Your bed? A crib? It's such a personal decision, as is everything related to kid sleep!

Finally, it's time for SIMPLE LIVES THURSDAY! I apologize for the times I don't get it up. I think there will just be weeks were I only get up the hop and not a post and I'm sorry for that, but I'd rather have it up than not.

Check out all the great stuff this week, PLEASE grab this badge

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Sustainable Eats

Spain in Iowa

or here.

and have a great weekend!

1. Moroccan Ground Beef (or Lamb) by Easy Natural Food. "We have a ton of grass fed ground beef in our freezer from the 1/4 cow we purchased last year, so I'm always trying to come up with new, tasty ways to eat it all."

2. Microgreens- Bring the Garden Into Your Kitchen by Preparedness Mama. "I came across a cool gardening idea a while back and I think it's the perfect cure for the wintertime blues."
3. Grain-Free Strawberries 'n Cream Porridge by Sweet Basil 'n Spice. "Since I am trying to do my very best to only eat grains that have been properly prepared (to improve digestion and neutralize any nutrient blockers) by either soaking or souring with my sourdough starter, coconut flour comes in handy when I haven't planned well."

Homemade Almond Milk (and Almond Meal) and High Chairs

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 03:45:00 +0000

This week, man.

Work is in full swing, thankfully going well, but the weather has been brutal. I'm trying to pretend it's not happening. Ellie makes it easy. I am making a concerted effort to be really present with her when we're together, just sitting and being with her. I remember my aunt telling me that when they brought their twins home from the hospital they spent hours just staring at them. "You don't need TV anymore!" she told me. It just gets better and better to be with your children as they get older, and they thrive on your attention. So that's what I do during the daylight hours. I spend as much time shining my attention on Ellie as I can. I always try to carve a little time out of each day for me, be it a short yoga practice, a run, reading, or watching Netflix, but that usually happens after she goes to bed. Her increased independence is a great thing, but I'm learning that it means no less supervision from me.
Our big task recently has been to work on setting up her dishes in a Montessori-style kitchen area. She has a play kitchen. It's now stocked with just one of each of her necessities, plate, cup, a pitcher for water, and this flatware is on its way. We're working on keeping these materials just for eating, but still accessible. My biggest battle is letting housework go so that I can be with her. I haaaate having dishes in the sink or clothes piled up, but that stuff would take over if I let it.
I just revamped her closet in her bedroom and will show it to you soon, but today I'm actually going to talk about FOOD! Can you believe it?

I had wanted to make my own almond milk for a long time so when I saw Angela's post I decided it was finally time to try. Surprisingly, I didn't get to drink any of the first batch because my husband liked it so much. I made it again and have stashed it in the back of the fridge so I actually get some.

It was a breeze to make and the byproduct, almond meal, is easy to put to use.

Homemade Almond Milk
(very slightly modified from Oh She Glows)
1 c. almonds (preferably organic, check this list to avoid almonds that have been fumigated)
3-4 c. filtered water
2-4 large dates
1 tsp. vanilla extract (or one vanilla bean)
1/4 tsp. salt

Start by soaking your almonds. I used 1 cup of almonds that were pretty old. Thankfully they did just fine, so it seems that almond milk is a good way to get rid of your less-than-fresh almonds. Soak for a few hours, preferably overnight, until the almonds are nice and plump.

Drain and rinse.

Put 2-4 large dates (I used medjools) into the bottom of a blender.

Add the rinsed almonds and enough water to almost fill the blender. For me this was 4 cups.

Add a splash of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Blend on the highest setting you've got.

Bonus if you have a cute assistant. Toddlers are obsessed with buttons and Ellie dances every time she hears the blender or food processor.

In the end it will be frothy and creamy.

There is such a thing as nut milk bags, but we just used cheese cloth over a fine mesh sieve. It took some time and a little muscle to get all the milk out. It probably would have done just fine on its own but I'm impatient.

The milk will keep in the fridge for a few days, maybe up to a week, but I doubt it'll last that long. It's not too sweet and very creamy. If you or someone you love is avoiding dairy, this is an excellent milk alternative. Even if you do drink milk, almond milk can be an inexpensive option to add to your rotation. We made two batches back and back because we like it so much. It tastes best ice cold.

(Seriously, this is all I got to photograph because we drank it so quickly.)

One bonus of the process is that it creates almond meal which can be used in a variety of recipes. I've made these macaroons with great success (which mostly consisted of me eating the dough) but decided to make these cookies instead. They were just ok. I started with the leftover almond solids from the cheesecloth.

And dehydrated it at 115 overnight.

Then I gave it a whir in the food processor.

Cookies:

I didn't think they were going to come together, but they did.

Like I said, the cookies were fine but not good enough to want to make again. Next batch I'll try the macaroons again for sure. The cookies are gluten-free, so they might be worth a try if you or someone you love avoids gluten.

Lastly, my friend Linda asked me to talk about the high chairs Ellie has used. We've had three main high chairs: a traditional wooden high chair which was built by my great-grandfather, a plastic booster seat with tray, and an adjustable high chair. We also used a "weaning table" in the spirit of Maria Montessori. She did very well with this in the early days of learning to eat, but it's more important for us to have her at eye level so she usually only uses this table for snacks.

They each have benefits and drawbacks. The wood chair is sentimental. It's bulky but we liked having her up at table level with us.
(A very Baby-Led-Weaning moment, trying spaghetti. More enjoyable as a toy than food.)

The drawbacks of the wood chair are that it had a very large footprint, like most high chairs, and was difficult to clean. We could have skipped it entirely and had no problem.

The booster seat was great because it was light, easy to clean, and again put her at our height. It has a tray that attached which made it easy to bring her outside to eat.

Remember summer?! Ugh. Watermelon!.

The drawbacks of the booster were that it tipped over easily, even when she was just on the floor, and the height was never quite right. It is valuable if you go out to eat often, but many restaurants offer chairs for little ones. Given that we only spent around $15 for it, this seat was worth it, but I don't think essential.

If we could go back to the beginning and do it all over again, I'd have ordered this chair. It's an adjustable high chair that will fit Ellie her whole life (unless she someday exceeds 240 lbs....) There is an infant attachment that works for the littlest kids. She is able to climb into the chair whenever she's ready to eat, a habit she first formed very well with her weaning table. (Staying at the table was another matter, and it's much better with the chair.) The weaning table gives her the same sense of independence, but she clearly loves to engage us in meal time and it's vitally important to me that we all sit down at the table as a family.

We asked for the Kikaroo chair for Christmas. There's a more expensive version, the Tripp Trapp, but I've never seen one to compare them. We have been more than happy with the Kikaroo.

I hope that was helpful to you new parents (snuggle Benji for me, ok Linda?) and that you'll consider trying some homemade almond milk. Like so many other things, the store bought stuff just doesn't compare to homemade.
How are you these days? Is it starting to feel like spring where you are, or still solidly winter? We're still in hats and gloves. I can't wait for barefoot days.

Arches

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 01:32:00 +0000

I bet you'd never know it, but I used to be a dancer. I was the kind of child who had more interests than my parents had time or money for and eventually I had to choose, and I chose ballet. I dabbled in other types of dance but ballet stuck with me for a decade, from childhood through my early teens. When you're a little ballerina, it's all about the tutus and pink tights. I was the kind of kid who had an athletic talent for dancing (and in general) but lacked the discipline and grace that makes great dancers. I could do the steps, but often drifted off in rehearsal and looked around me during recitals to help remember the sequence I'd forgotten. Dancing brought me great joy because it, along with sports, taught me how to be present in my body in the moment. It helped me see how practice can produce real change, change you wouldn't anticipate at the start of the process. It helped teach me how to be a part of a group that was greater than the sum of its parts, and that beauty and art are worthy pursuits, regardless of any tangible outcome. It let me express myself in a completely unique medium. I will always be thankful for my time as a dancer and I wouldn't change my decision, though do often look back and wonder what would have happened if I'd continued with music more seriously.
But at some point in those 10 years, I realized that dance wasn't for me. I had to grow up a little and see the writing on the wall that I just wasn't that great at it. It wasn't for lack of trying; it was just who I am. I've written here that I appreciate my body now more than I ever did. Growing up, I found it difficult to love my body. I developed earlier than some of my peers and this new woman's body made many of my favorite activities much less enjoyable. I didn't want to be a woman when I was in middle school. I wanted to be fast, light, small. I wanted to run and move and not think about my body.
A certain innocence is lost when children begin to reflect on their bodies at times when they once took them for granted.
At some point in my ballet career it became time to transition to pointe shoes. Every little ballerina dreams of wearing those shoes, tying the ribbons up her legs and floating across the stage. It turns out that they're quite difficult to get up in, not because of the pain but because they require a very pronounced arch of the foot for the toe tip to press flat against the floor. I had spent years developing a strong turnout, something that can be learned, but I simply didn't have the arches for pointe shoes. I tried. I did my best and I had fun, but it was very difficult for me to get on the tips of those shoes. One day after bending the soles over and over in a futile effort to bend them to my weak, too-flat feet, my older sister slipped them on and her unusually high arches bent them directly to the floor. I might have thrown something at her. (She and I are four years apart and have always been very close. I feel so lucky to have her as my big sister.)

Among other things, ballet taught me that some people are just built for certain things. I am not built for dance. My feet were not built for those shoes and I learned a lot by trying to fit into them. In the spirit of reflection, I'm making an effort to accept my limitations. I'm trying to step back and see what I've managed to force myself into, what stories I have been telling myself. I am trying to put my ego aside and be honest about what still has a place in my life. Everything is on the table; my business, this blog, everything. I have do things on my terms, and that means this space might languish sometimes. Please know that it's not because I haven't been thinking of you or don't have things to share here. It's because I have a little head of hair to smell, tiny clothes to fold, and I just won't miss a moment of it to be here. It's also important to me that when I do post, it's because I have something honest to tell you about. Because I do think I'm built to have write here. I think it works for me. It's an important part of my life but I have to make it fit.
I want to tell you about the things we've been eating and doing around the house recently. Meal planning, and discipline in general, is hard for me but I'm getting better. I thought I'd share a few of the meals we've been eating and then show you a few activities Ellie has been doing.
I made a little calendar with meals and tasks for January and put it up on the fridge. It keeps me on track to see everything in one place. Some days are more exciting, others we have eggs and salad.

I have a drawer where I shove all the recipes I pull from magazines. I use them when I need inspiration. I put the recipes I'll use on the side of the fridge so they're easy to grab. I'm always looking for cheap healthy meals to throw together on weeknights.

A few things we've eaten:

Roasting a chicken is a great way to get many meals out of one day of work. I did a chicken in the crockpot, which was no work and came out very well, and it turned into a few meals including chicken pot pie, chicken and dumpling soup, and salad with chicken and poached eggs (mother and child reunion?)

I have never poached eggs much but now I can't get enough of them over greens. Tony's is the best on eggs.

I made baked fish sticks with tilapia and homemade wheat breadcrumbs. They're actually more like cubes than sticks, and yes I drank a PBR. I live in Iowa City, ok?

Baked on a cooling rack over a sheet pan. (The white pieces are leftover bits of panko that I threw in with the breadcrumbs.)

Served with sweet potato fries and aioli.

I made a really simple red curry soup with shrimp, green beans, cilantro and lime. I also made spring rolls with more shrimp, "spiralized" veggies (how I do it without a spiralizer), and a soy garlic dipping sauce. This meal came together quickly and was really good.

I took some of that chicken and made a really simple gravy just by frying onions in butter, making a roux, adding a little milk and stock. I added shredded chicken and lots of black pepper and served it over biscuits with fried eggs and bacon. Breakfast for dinner is so easy and satisfying. We do it once a week.

In that photo you can see the green coffee beans a friend gave us. We've started roasting our own coffee! It's quite fun but not without its snags. We are using two air popcorn poppers and every batch is an experiment. The good news is unroasted beans are very cheap and store well. These are from Sweet Maria's.
We've been doing some activities with Ellie to help improve her fine motor skills and get her involved in the kitchen. First I've been letting her use a vegetable cutter (similar) which is very dull but easy for her to hold. I plan to have Eleanor in the kitchen from a very early age using real tools. She mostly uses real glasses and plates. Soon I will put her plates and glasses down at her level and have a water station accessible to her, but she's not quite ready yet.
I gave her a banana and let her slice away.

Victory! Sorry it's blurry but I had to include it. This is the hallmark of an engaged child. She had to work hard to hold the cutter and push down steadily. After she cut it we moved the pieces of banana into a bowl and she ate some.

I've been working with Ellie at matching lids to different kinds of boxes. I organized a bin filled with a few different kinds of containers with lids and let her explore.

Honestly it didn't keep her busy for very long, maybe 5 minutes, and some of them were too hard for her. She has this on a shelf in the living room and will often pick up a box or two individually but doesn't seem to love the activity. I think I'll remove it and try again in a few weeks.
Lastly, we have been working on transferring and scooping. Ellie moves whole nutmeg between these two metal bowls, sometimes with her hands and sometimes with the scoop. They make a very satisfying sound dropping into the bowls and are easy to handle.

Her latest obsession is the moon. Every night she asks us many times to take her outside so she can look at it. This will be a lot more fun in the summer!
Thank you again for sticking with me and coming back here to check in. I hope you are doing well, and I would love to hear about anything you worked hard at and succeeded or failed, and what it taught you.
You can always keep up with me on Facebook or Twitter, too.

Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 03:59:00 +0000

A lot of people have been talking about setting a word instead of resolutions for the new year. At first I didn't like the idea because it felt either too specific or too general, but the more I thought about it the more I liked the it, and my 2013 word slowly came to me: reflection. I have a strong tendency to just react, to do without thinking. I'm impulsive, which can be a strength, but I think 2013 is my year to step back and reflect.

This year I want to be more honest with myself.
I want to take more time to think before speaking, before judging.
I want to take stock of things as they are before choosing to act.

I want to watch my daughter to see what she reflects of me and who she really is.

It's all a part of trying to slow down a bit and decide what's really important to me.
Have you chosen a word for this year? What is it?

Signing with Your Child and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:35:00 +0000

Last night I posted on my personal facebook page suggesting that parents sign with their children because it has been so helpful for us. I was inspired to post it because Ellie was able to communicate that she wanted a change in our nightly routine. After dinner we usually go straight to bath, but dinner was a little late last night and Ellie's nap was a little early. Since she was obviously tired I thought we'd just have a super-short bath and skip reading a book before going right to bed. After she gets down from the table I always ask her to go to the bathroom so we can have a bath and she usually goes without hesitation since she loves bath time and knows the routine. But last night she headed directly to her bedroom, so I asked her if she didn't want to have a bath. She doesn't really get "yes" and "no" yet so I offered her a choice, something I do regularly. I asked her if she wanted a bath or sleep and she replied sleep, so I asked her again and got the same answer. I changed her into her pajamas and she went right to bed.
A few of my friends asked about how we do sign so I thought I'd share about it here in a short and sweet post. I don't claim any expertise, but seek to share our experience. Signing has been invaluable to us and I can't encourage new parents enough to give it a try. To keep it simple I'm using bullet points. Please chime in in the comments with your experience or any questions you might have!

Start early. We started signing with Ellie around six
months. She didn't produce anything until much later but she started to understand early on.
Sign what you say. There are lots of great lists of basic signs for baby (here's one that has links for many of the most common signs) but you should focus on signing content words (nouns and verbs) that you use often. We started with "milk" "more" and "all done" since we were just starting solids when we started to sign. Always say the word while you sign it so baby learns both.
Be consistent. We found personally that the more we signed to Ellie the more quickly she would pick it up. It was very easy for me to be consistent with her because I was usually in charge of her meals so my husband had to make a concerted effort to be sure to always sign when he used our important words. Choose one signing resource as your reference and stick with it. We used ASL and this online dictionary. You can make up your own signs that are easier for you and your child. Be sure to share them with your care provider so your child doesn't get frustrated.
Be patient. It can take a while for kids to break the code, but they will. Ellie signed for almost a full month before she spoke a single word. We were so thrilled that she was able to communicate with us. Interestingly the first words she signed back were not the first words she spoke.
Be flexible. Chances are your baby will not sign back to you exactly the way you signed to them. Children create their own signs. As long as they work it's perfectly fine!
Have fun. Signing with your child is such a delight, but it can be easy to get caught up wanting them to sign more or sign "correctly". Enjoy the glimpse into your child's developing brain and accept their progress as it happens. I was sort of surprised at how long it took Ellie to get the sign for "milk" because she is getting breastmilk many times a day and I was signing it to her each time, but it just took her longer than a few other signs. It may be because it's sort of difficult to articulate, but who knows.
Do what you can. Remember that signing is not all or nothing. You don't have to do any more signs than you want to. "More" and "all done" have been so helpful to us.

We have so enjoyed being able to listen to Ellie. I can't recommend signing to your baby highly enough.

Here's a funny video of Ellie showing of a few of her signs. Typical toddler behavior right here, but you get to see her modifications of the signs. They're probably not very easy for you to recognize but, just like spoken words, it's easy to recognize your own child's signs.

Movie on 1-10-13 at 8.37 AM from Alicia on Vimeo.

For fun, a blooper. Here's what happens when you ask a toddler to perform. OVER IT! She gets a little mad in the end because the computer fell asleep and she couldn't see herself anymore.

Movie on 1-10-13 at 8.44 AM from Alicia on Vimeo.

Tell me, did you sign with your little ones? How did it go? I hear it becomes even more helpful when they hit two or three.
Finally, it's Thursday so I have some posts about keeping things simple for you. Please check out last week's featured posts and this week's linkup after the jump.

1. Use Pallets to Build Your Own Double Compost Bin for under $15 by Old World Garden Farms . "There are few things that can make your garden more successful than compost. "
2. Beef And Bean Wedges... or Pizza? by Homemaking Beyond Maintenance. "Last night I made up a recipe we liked. It's a keeper and a very easy quick meal."
3.Solve the Problem of Dirty Drinking Glasses by Everything Home With Carol. "Ever have your counter look like this in the afternoon? Mine does. But I have an idea to help solve the problem of dirty drinking glasses."

Holidays and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:23:00 +0000

My family lives a short drive away from my home, which requires some time on an interstate that rolls through the hills and fields of Eastern Iowa. This time of year is sleepy in this space between cities. We stayed home this Christmas, one of the best decisions we've ever made, but we went to see my family a week later. We arrived at noon in fresh clothes, bursting with gifts to give and food to share. We played, ate, gave, and received. Eight hours later, disheveled and blissful, we left my parents' warm home, which previously belonged to my grandmother, and drove home. Before we left I nursed the baby in her car seat and she easily fell asleep after a long day of playing with her cousins and receiving an inordinate amount of attention and affection. My husband sat in the back seat with her, as he always does, and I drove. He fell asleep, too, and I was left by myself to escort my family home. I'm the driver in the family because any other position in the car wrecks me with nausea. Often when I'm driving I think of this post by Teacher Tom and focus on trying to be the person I want to be all the time, which can be difficult behind the wheel. I'm working to be mindful in these moments. I've mentioned before about trying to be mindful while going through daily tasks that may otherwise seem like a distraction like childcare or travel. One of the most simple ways to be mindful is to tune in to your senses.
So I looked around me. Watching pavement speeding by is frankly disorienting, but I tired to keep my attention on the road while observing my surroundings. In the bright light of the moon, just waning from the 13th full moon of the year, I watched the highway curl around snow-covered farms. The moon was so full that it almost looked like daylight, and I felt that bring me comfort. Rural areas toe the line between being the safest and most dangerous places to be. I have driven that journey with white knuckles in the dark, fearing a hungry deer would cross my path. Being able to see beyond the road, beyond the ditches, and into the quiet countryside calmed me.
I smelled the leftover pork sitting in the driver's seat next to me. A year ago we put our order in for our annual Berkshire with Danelle at Stamps Family Farm and I swapped out a few smaller cuts in favor of a crown roast. The meal was celebratory and special, especially since we knew that the pig had been happy and well taken care of by good friends. We prepared it simply with herbs and garlic and the scent lingered in the car. Amazing how you can be stuffed after dinner but just an hour later the food sounds so good again.
I heard the breathing of my loves in the back seat, so rhythmic and deep. I listened to my own breathing and tried to say relaxed in the moment.
I looked back at the trunk of the car, stuffed with meaningful gifts. Christmas is obviously not about the material, but my family does such an incredible job with giving gifts. They are always thoughtful and useful. I leave each holiday feeling loved and listened to, and that they feel the same from me. I am so lucky to have a family of creative and generous people, and so happy to share that with my daughter.
By the time I pulled the car up to the house, I was floating with bliss from the day and the drive. I carried the sleeping baby inside and spent the rest of the evening with my husband in the glow of the tree and some nog with brandy.
We were overloaded with beautiful things and people this season. Here are some photos of just a fraction.
Ellie still loves the Boba and shows no sign of being tired of being carried. It's even nicer to snuggle close in the winter.

Christmas Eve at my in-law's meant tons of gifts for Ellie including a Kikaroo high chair which came in this box, obviously way more fun than any toy.

Here's the chair in action. It's great to have her at table level again. I've started cutting her coins of bananas that she can peel herself. This trick has worked well to get her to eat bananas again.

We spent Christmas at home in our pajamas. We got ourselves two new ornaments this year.

And we actually exchanged gifts, something we don't normally do. I got Tim a copy of this book called Q&A A Day.

And he got me a ginko leaf necklace. I love it. In fact, my older sister also got me a ginko necklace that is totally different and I love them both. See what I mean about great gift givers?

We ate some of Grandma Ann's poppy seed bread.

With oatmeal and eggs.

We spent the Saturday following Christmas with my family. Nana bought the cousins matching outfits.

These girls. They kill me.

Mom got me this sweet hand-embroidered towel.

And my sister got Ellie this puzzle. It's too difficult for her now but eventually it will be really fun.

Then we prepared for New Year's Brunch. Ellie helped me make cinnamon rolls.

And we had our best brunch yet.

Yes that's candied bacon. So good.

The holidays have been a whirlwind in the best way and I'm both looking forward to returning to normal routines and a little sad about it. Putting away the decorations and cleaning up feels good. The house feels normal again. Things were starting to feel like clutter instead of fun so it was time to go. I think I'll feel the same about returning to work and our regular routine. But staying in the moment of the holidays, doing my best to keep things relaxed and calm, made the season a lot more fun and a lot less draining than before.

How did you keep it simple this holiday? I'd love to hear about it, or any plans you have for the new year. I wish you all the best and can't thank you enough for sharing in our journey here.

Here's the link up, so check it out after the jump. Please be sure to link back to a host blog if you like up!

1. Top 5 Ways to Go Green(er) in 2013 by Eliza K Prints. "2012 was a great year. 2013 is going to be even better." 2. Spiced Baked Apples by Real Food Forager . "This is a simple recipe that is easy-- great for company as everyone loves baked apples." 3.Simple Living 2013 by Simple Life in Norwary. "Ok, so we in our little family have given ourselves a huge challenge for 2013. The challenge combines many small areas of our life, and we hope it can help us to complete our life a little more, to make our living more sustainable and maybe even making us more self-sufficient."

Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 18:09:00 +0000

Hey everybody!
How was your holiday? Ours was fantastic. I can't wait to tell you all about the great things we got and gave but I'm holding off until next week because we have another family Christmas this Saturday.
I am going to rush off today and spend more time with this little girl because I'm still home from work on break and can't seem to get enough of her.
Like most toddlers, she has been going through phases with food. Sometimes she'll eat very well and others she'll barely eat anything, including old favorites like bananas and avocados. The discovery I recently made is that we're more successful if we give her a variety of foods. I have always given her whatever we eat, no special kid meals, but I never realized just how repetitive we our in our meal plan. I'm going to make a better effort to switch up our sides in the hopes that she'll find some new flavors that she likes.
Guess what she absolutely loves? Steamed broccoli.

Kids are funny.

I hope you all had the merriest and will see you next week. Until then, check out the fantastic contributors to Simple Lives Thursday, starting with last week's favorite posts.

1. Christmas for a Sharecropper's Daughter by Farm Hand's Companion. "When I see houses today- similar to what we grew up in- my first thought is, "Oh, those poor people." But at that time, we were so content. I was the youngest of eight children. We always had a roof over our head; we had walls around us."

2. Sprouting for Winter Vegetables: A Tutorial by A Life Unprocessed. "This is the time of year when sprouts are a great organic, locally grown and affordable green vegetable. They'll grow year round, of course, but fresh greens from other sources are harder to come by in winter, making sprouts a better fresh, local option."

3. Removing Yellow Armpit Stains from Clothing with Dish Soap, Peroxide and Baking Soda Review- Does it Work? by Green Idea Reviews. "If you've ever been an antiperspirant user, you know that yellow armpit stains come with the territory. You also know that yellow antiperspirant armpit stains do NOT wash out in the regular laundry, or even with your typical go-to stain removers."

On Breastfeeding Beyond the First 12 Months and Simple LIves

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 18:17:00 +0000

Hi!
We're having our own little snowmageddon over here, so I'm going to try to keep this short and get back to baking cookies and staring out the window at the blowing snow.
As I wrote in my breastfeeding post, the initiation of our breastfeeding relationship was not without its struggles. After the first two months I was able to occasionally feed without pain, but I wouldn't say that became consistent at all for at least another two or three months.
Around six months we started adding solid foods to Ellie's diet, which is the beginning of the weaning process. She was quite open to food from the beginning but it by no means reduced the amount of breastfeeding we were doing. I had heard of mothers weaning around the six or eight month mark, but I just couldn't imagine it. We had really just started getting good at it, so I couldn't imagine giving it up, especially only to switch to formula. We kept on truckin, and are still going strong, so today I'd like to tell you about how our relationship has changed over these 12 months and some obstacles we've overcome along the way. My hope is twofold: 1) to normalize toddler breastfeeding (I have only a couple friends who breastfed this long) and 2) to help share information with other moms so that they might have longer breastfeeding relationships if they so choose.

Obstacles.
To make it this far, there were a few obstacles that we had to overcome.

Work. I am working so I have still been pumping at work. This is a choice every mother must make. Beyond the first year many mothers choose to stop pumping at work and to give their child bottles or cups of cow milk while they're separated. We don't routinely drink cows milk for a variety of reasons and Eleanor just wasn't interested in it when we repeatedly offered it to her. I am very lucky to have ample time and access to a pumping room equipped with a hospital-grade pump at work, along with a freezer to store milk after I pump it. Since it's convenient I've been able to keep up a pumping routine that addresses all of Ellie's milk needs while we are apart.
Teeth. Ellie has six teeth. I was so worried that we would have major problems when she got her first tooth around 10 months. I had heard of women weaning after the first tooth. I was especially worried given how much pain I'd been in the early days. Luckily we have never had a problem. She has lightly bitten me before but never out of meanness, usually only out of boredom. We deal with biting by ending the session. I learned not to react in any way but to just assume that meant she didn't want to feed anymore.
Other people. Honestly this has been a non-issue but I do know some mothers have to deal with people asking why they're *still* breastfeeding their toddler. I have gotten 0 negative feedback about continuing to breastfeed Ellie so I've never had to justify what we're doing, but I'm more than prepared to. As my friend Maggie says, the easiest thing to say is just "we do what works for us.

How she has changed.
Ellie's personality related to breastfeeding completely changed after 12 months. (Actually the big change was a bit earlier than that. At my yearly follow up with the midwife, she told me that she advises moms who want to wean after 12 months to wean at 11 instead.)

Emotional. Breastfeeding used to be totally utilitarian for Ellie. She was not interested in sucking for comfort and I couldn't keep her at the breast unless she was going to get in a real feeding, and even then her attention span was limited. Now Ellie's attachment to feeding is very emotional. She needs to breastfeed when she's hungry but she also needs it when she's upset or hurt. If she has fallen down and hurt herself, she will sometimes ask to nurse (she signs "milk" for nursing). Thankfully this isn't her only reaction to being hurt. Sometimes she just wants to cry on her own, others she wants a hug. She almost never falls asleep while breastfeeding but when we've been out for the day and she's in her car seat, nursing will help her relax and drift off.

It helps that at this age Ellie understands enough language that I can talk to her about breastfeeding. I can say "not right now" and she understands. This has reduced our public breastfeeding, which was almost at 0 anyway because she's such a distracted nurser.

Physical. If you've ever breastfed a toddler you can guess what I'm going to talk about. Getting a little person to hold still can be a challenge to say the least. Ellie still likes to be held in cradle position sometimes but often just sits on my lap and leans forward. She does the occasional standing-while-feeding pose, but mostly we nurse before naps and bed (I'd say we nurse seven times a day or so, including some night feeding) so she's usually happy to cuddle and relax. I am so thankful for these snuggly times. She's so busy these days that I rarely get the time to just sit and stare into her eyes. If for no other reason I'm thankful that we're still breastfeeding for these times. I will be incredibly sad when they're gone.

How I have changed.

Emotional. My emotional relationship with breastfeeding has always been pretty good but it has become even more relaxed these days. When she hit the 12 month mark I felt like a big burden was lifted off my shoulders because she would never need formula. This isn't because I think formula is evil or terrible but I set the initial goal of getting to that point and it was a victory when I did. As I mentioned above, having such a rough beginning made nursing precious to us. I still look down at her sometimes and think "wow, we are really doing this!" with amazement. I know it will be over before we know it so I'm doing my best to enjoy every feeding, even in the middle of the night.
Physical. I mentioned before that I dropped to my pre-pregnancy weight after a few months. The number on the scale was the same but I did lose a lot of muscle mass during pregnancy. After 12 months I lost even more weight and now a lot of my clothes don't fit. I suspect that my body was holding on to some extra fat since Ellie was eating so much and has let it go now that she's eating less. My body's shape (especially my breasts...) is not the same but I've never been in a better place mentally with how I look. Looking at this body and knowing that it carried her and continues to feed her makes it difficult to be so judgmental about how it compares to societal ideals. I appreciate my body now more than ever. It's important for me to keep this energy and share it with Ellie.

All in all, I am thrilled with where our breastfeeding relationship stands now. We got here through a combination of luck and hard work and I suspect we won't be weaning any time soon, but I'm going to let Ellie tell me what to do. Since we've has it so good so far, anything that happens from here on out is ok by me.

Tell me, did you nurse your little one beyond a year? What was it like for you? Mamas, do you or did you have a breastfeeding goal?

Finally, it's time for Simple Lives! Please be sure to link back to this post when you link up so we can pick your post for next week's featured posts.

1. Caldo Verde (Portuguese kale soup) by I Believe in Butter. "Caldo verde is a very tasty soup, so easy to make, and also easy to turn in to your own specialty."
2. 10 Ways to Strengthen Your Immune System by Small Footprint Family. "Considering that communicable diseases like colds and flu are highly contagious and have no cure other than to run their course, your best bet is to prevent becoming ill in the first place."
3. How to Make Roasted Garlic by Real Food Freaks. "If you have never made roasted garlic, you are totally missing out! I love the depth and richness that roasted garlic brings to food."

Legacy and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:26:00 +0000

Today I'm going to share a story with you about my home, but first I'd like to share a few links to things that I've found this week around the web that I hope you'll find interesting. I got a good response to my last post that featured this idea and wanted to give it another go this week.

I don't love the first part of this post about public breastfeeding (and in part I can't relate because I've really never been given anything but support and encouragement about publicly feeding my child) but the interview and story about the gorilla are particularly interesting. The story is about a gorilla who didn't know how to breastfeed its baby because it was raised in captivity. Reportedly it was able to successfully breastfeed its second baby after being exposed to nursing human mothers with their babies. The interview talks about the role of public breastfeeding in a society. I want to be a part of a community where mothers breastfeed openly in public so I do. It can be hard sometimes, especially at the beginning, but posts like this one give me that ammunition I need.
I love thinking about children as little scientists and philosophers, constantly testing and adjusting their understanding of the world through experimentation. This article talks about preschoolers using play to draw conclusions about other people and how the world works. Interestingly, it suggests that direct instruction can actually make it more difficult for children to learn from play. This is a line I constantly walk with Ellie because I want her to have structured "work" but also to have freedom to explore.
This series on PBS about chefs looks really interesting.
I love this post about choosing your battles, another very big thing I struggle with daily. It also talks about drawing on mindfulness during times of stress and vulnerability.
On a similar point, this is an excellent post about setting AND keeping limits with your little ones. I find the steps, especially letting the child work through their emotions about the limits, and examples to be very helpful.
My husband and I are going to try making this activity of listing things that can help us reduce the tension in our home. Like many couples, we were more harmonious before we had a child and are working to get back to that place.
Lastly, my friend Nikki just opened her Etsy shop QuietRitual featuring her natural body care products, which I talked about on my Facebook page. I have used most of the ones she has listed and they are incredible. Totally luxurious but 100% safe. No artificial fragrances or preservatives.

I hope you find a few of those links interesting! Now on to the story.
I don't know if I've mentioned it here before but the home we purchased a few years ago has quite a history behind it. We are the third owners of the small two-bedroom home, the first being a family of seven! The second owners lived there for many years, having children who grew up and left. We purchased the home from the wife and mother, in her mid 80s, who was downsizing to move into an apartment complex associated with assisted living. Her husband had passed a way over a decade before we bought the home but he left his legacy throughout and I am still discovering small but incredibly meaningful things that once belonged to him and are now mine. (I posted on my Flickr about his pencil sharpener and screw jar.)
Bob was a book buyer by profession for the majority of his adult life. This is no small fact in this the only American City of Literature. When his wife moved, she allowed her children to go over the house and take what they wanted and we told her to leave us absolutely anything else. We have slowly worked our way through his books which line the walls of the basement. (This photo is from when we closed on the house, so none of this furniture remains but all the shelves are still full of books.)

Many of the books that were left behind are very special gifts from the publishers, given only to select groups of people. Some are numbered and most contain a plate like this one:

Without exception they feature incredible book design and typography. Today I'm going to show you four books that Bob left behind that are about Christmas. They are beautiful and meaningful.

The book on the far right, The Spirit of Christmas at Monticello, has beautiful illustrations and type.

The one on the far left has a sweet little press logo.

And is filled with poetry.

The book called An Alphabet of Christmas Words is right up my alley, featuring the meaning and history of English words related to the holiday. I love it.

And finally my favorite, Two Kinds of Christmases. Beautiful binding.

A little note on handmade paper just inside the cover.

Featuring this quote.

And filled with letters related to Christmas. Some ancient.

Others a little more modern.

And still others that are incredibly moving. Please click on this one to read.

We feel so lucky to have inherited so much of Bob's legacy. I can only hope that I should die with such an impressive book collection to represent me decades after I'm gone.

Finally, it's Thursday and that means it's time for Simple Lives! Thanks for sticking through this huge post and click through to see what people are linking up this week. We all have the holidays on our minds so it's great to be thinking about how to keep it simple.

Featured Posts from Last Week's Submissions

We really enjoy reading your posts each week! Featured post bloggers, please grab the badge above and display it on your site! Link it to one of the host blogs' posts for the specific week that you were featured. Here are our picks from last week's submissions. Thanks to all who participated -- it is always hard to choose!

1. Canning Jar Pin Cushions by The Local Cook. "I like to stitch while we watch TV. So I thought hey, I should get a pincushion."

2. Homemade Liquid Hand Soap by Thank Your Body . "It's good. It's gentle. Effective. Toxic-free. And doesn't leave my hands feeling like they just got a chemical bath."
3. Chocolate Cloud Cakes by Riddlelove. "These little cakes are gorgeous in presentation and delightful to sink your spoon into."

Inheritance and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:34:00 +0000

I try not to acquire too many objects, especially at this time of year, but there are some new things around here.
First, this sweet pendant. It's from this etsy seller (unfortunately it's too late for Christmas orders) and is a belated Mother's Day gift. It is the phase of the moon as it was on the night Ellie was born. I love it. Like all good Etsy products it came in beautiful packaging.

On a black silk cord, though I ended up putting it on a sterling chain with an E charm of in the same size.

A keepsake to go with it.

It's tiny and perfect. The date is also etched on the back.

On the opposite side of the new-thing spectrum is the gigantic room-sized rug we inherited from my great-grandparents. It lived in my aunt's home for years until her dog refused to stop marking one spot of it and she removed it. My parents generously agreed share the cost of having the rug cleaned and replace the pad and it now fills our living room. It's a wool Karastan rug and we couldn't be more thrilled to have it in our home. Someday I will pass it on to Eleanor, if it's her style, and maybe she to her children. It's the kid of rug I have always wanted but could never have afforded. The pattern and colors fit perfectly in our room by a stroke of great luck. It's so touching to me that Ellie is now playing on a rug that my sister's and I played on when we were little girls.
The room before:

After. Ok, more like during. the rug is in but things are still a mess. We had to remove all the furniture, including the piano, since the rug is only a few inches smaller than the room.

I will try to get some sunny pictures soon so you can see the real colors.

Close up of the pattern

It makes the room so much more warm and comfortable feeling. The colors highlight the hutch (you can see it in the first photo) which we were also recently handed down from Tim's side of the family. Would you believe me if I told you that the kitchen table (from Goodwill) is the only piece of real furniture I've purchased in my home?
I'm am so lucky. So many people have been so kind to us.
A coworker very generously gifted me her Champion juicer, which is a total powerhouse. I've been using my juicer recently since the citrus is so abundant and delicious. We've been ordering from Azure and this month got lots of carrots and oranges which we made into a super sweet foamy juice with apples, lemon, and spinach.

It was almost TOO sweet, despite what it looks like.

She loved it.

I made Smitten Kitchen's pumpkin cinnamon rolls recently, mostly for the smell and the frosting. (You could bury me in pumpkin pie spice and I'd be happy.)

Nothing too bad ever starts this way.

Yep.

The frosting was great but honestly the rolls weren't anything special.

That's what we've been up to. We're also getting ready for the holidays, trying to decide if we want to get a full size Christmas tree or something small to avoid dealing with toddler grabby hands. Any advice, parents or child-care friends?

We have most of our gift list done for the first time in a few years (maybe it's just me but I have become significantly more organized since having a child, largely out of necessity) but we still have a few key dudes to check off our list. Why are dads so tough to find gifts for?

How are you preparing for a simple holiday this year? Check out the links in the Simple Lives Thursday blog hop and please join us in welcoming back Annette!! WE MISSED YOU!

Please remember to link back to one of the host blogs:

GNOWFGLINS

Sustainable Eats

Spain in Iowa

or here.

Our favorites from last week:

1. Homemade Bath Salts with Lemongrass by Holistic Squid. "While this recipe for luxurious homemade bath salts will guide you to create lovely homemade, health-promoting gifts, it will also soothe you when you need it the most...the holidays."
2. 8 Ways to Use Swiss Chard Stalks by Poor and Gluten Free. "We go through a bunch of Swiss chard every week, so I'm constantly looking for ways to make use of the chard stalks. Because the stems keep longer in the fridge than the leaves do I tend to store them up for a couple of weeks, then make something from them."

3. Don't Abandon the Sage by Our Heritage of Health. "Thanksgiving may be over, and the leftovers may be all gone, but there's no reason to abandon the bottle of sage in the back of the cupboard."

December 1st

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 04:32:00 +0000

In my last post, I told you that we were going to celebrate the countdown to Christmas by doing something together, either as a family or just the two of us, every night in December.
Since today is December 1st, I thought I'd share our list. I wrote up 24 ideas that vary in cost (most are free) and level of commitment/preparation and we got a rough idea of the order we'll follow.
Here's our list:

1. Drink wine and wrap gifts
2. Play and sing a Christmas song
3. Draw each other
4. Salt dough ornaments
5. Write haiku about each other
6. Nog+ brandy (note that I wrote 'rum' and was corrected!)
7. Get Chinese takeout and watch Charlie Brown Christmas or Nightmare Before Christmas or Rudolf
8. Oranges+cloves
9. Walk or drive to look at lights
10. Night time at Hickory Hill
11. Make a time capsule ornament for E
12. Bake chocolate crinkle cookies
13. Read a Christmas story book
14. Write E a letter
15. Pick out and buy our xmas ornament
16. Drink hot cocoa
17. Go out for a meal
18. Share three things we love about each other
19. Take a family photo
20. Play a game of chess
21. Put up Christmas decorations
22. Share three favorite moments of 2012
23. Take a donation to the Shelter or Crisis Center
24. Call or video chat with grandparents

We had to take a walk tonight because the weather has been freakishly warm and we're dog sitting, so everyone was anxious to get outside. Nursing+walking in a carrier is still a guaranteed quick bedtime around here.

After the baby went to sleep, we did #20, play a game of chess. We played two, actually. I lost both, which should be a surprise to no one who knows my husband. He plays chess daily online but it's something we rarely do together. It was so much fun to sit down and have a laugh, and I'm not quite as terrible as I remembered.

I hope we'll manage to get all 24 of these things done, and am looking forward to some time together during this crazy season that pulls us in all directions.

What are your favorite holiday traditions? We're looking for inspiration as our family grows.

Just Words and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 02:36:00 +0000

I sit down here each week and have so much to say. So many things on my mind. When I first started engaging in the internet, I had that awful experience that often comes with a new job: I practiced it in my sleep. I'd dream of things I wanted to post, or witty retorts to things other people had said. The only thing that helped me get through that was time and staying away. Now I do my best to limit screen time, not because of some philosophical opposition but because it's just the best choice for me in practice. Staying away, waiting, gives me some clarity. I have immense respect for bloggers who post every day because I simply don't have the courage. I need time to process before I'm ready to share.
I lie in bed at night and think about the lessons I've learned as a parent (and human) that day, the battles I've fought and won and those that I've lost. I think about the women who came before me, and those who will come after, not least of all my daughter, and what this world holds for them.
Each night, I try to unpack my load. I try to process what has happened to me. How it could have been different and how I have been changed. I try to leave the day behind fully by shining my attention onto its significance for a few moments and then letting it go, watching it float away in the roaring river that is time passing. (And that river flows much faster now that I'm a parent and older.)
I think about this space, "the blog", and how it has evolved. I wonder if you like my thoughts about life and parenting, or if you just scroll past them to see the pictures and recipes. (I assure you that either is totally fine with me.) I debate about whether it's ok for me to share things about my daughter without her consent. I try not to talk about her here in great detail because her life is not mine.
I want to be clear, though, I also think about all kinds of silly, shallow things. I consider sharing my post-pregnancy skin-care routine and wardrobe strategies as a working mom. I wonder if you'd be interested in anecdotes about my students or dog.
When it comes down to it, I just have to decide. I just have to get the ball rolling and words flowing.
Today I am going to share a few quick links that I've enjoyed recently because these are the things that are on my mind right now.
My social networking, for all its faults, leads me to some incredibly interesting and thought provoking stuff. Here are some thing I've been taking that you might like:

This letter from Finoa Apple about why she needed to cancel her tour to be home with her dying dog. Yes, it's verbose and dramatic, but there are some very thoughtful and poignant parts. Specifically these spoke to me (emphasis mine):

"If I go away again, I’m afraid she'll die and I won't have the honor of singing her to sleep, of escorting her out. Sometimes it takes me 20 minutes to pick which socks to wear to bed. But this decision is instant. These are the choices we make, which define us.

I will not be the woman who puts her career ahead of love and friendship.

I know that I will feel the most overwhelming knowledge of her, and of her life and of my love for her, in the last moments. I need to do my damnedest to be there for that. Because it will be the most beautiful, the most intense, the most enriching experience of life I've ever known. When she dies."

The last paragraph struck me the most because it's so personal, this idea of what can be a beautiful, intense experience. It could be the death of a dog or the birth of a child. It is so telling of the person and what they value in life.

This video that has been going around facebook featuring the transofrmation of an overweight disabled vet from being unable to walk to a headstanding yogi. It's just incredible to watch the life enter his eyes and his muscles and spirit grow stronger. It's easy to let healthy routines like exercise slide, but watching someone struggle and succeed to pull themselves out of years of neglect reminded me how necessary it really is. (And just how important prevention is.)

These dehydrated veggies and fruits have replaced puffs as easy snacks when we're on the go. I'm trying to reduce the grains that we eat and Ellie likes the peas best.

Tim actually agreed to do this somewhat dorky countdown to Christmas with me. I wrote 24 different ideas for us to spend time together and we'll pick a different thing each day. My list includes big and little things, including a walk to look at Christmas lights, reading a Christmas book with Ellie, wrapping gifts and drinking wine, and baking his favorite chocolate crinkle cookies. It's important to me to carve out a little time each day for us.

I enjoyed this post about holiday shopping, and particularly love the idea about giving kids the expectation of only four gifts each year: one thing they want, one thing they need, one thing they wear, one thing they read. We don't normally exchange gifts but now that Ellie is more aware I'd like Christmas to be special but not out of hand. We've already established the tradition of spending Christmas Eve and Day at home just the three of us and hanging around in new pajamas.

This photo.

I have a crafting bug. Right now I want to do this and this and this.

This is an interesting study that suggests children of higher socioeconomic status are more likely to have peanut allergies.

Have you heard of Rolling Jubilee? They buy debt for cents on the dollar and just forgive it. Incredible. Maybe there's someone special in your life who would appreciate a donation in their name to this organization as their holiday gift.

We're trying to keep the grocery bill low but still make healthy food and this recipe seems to fit the bill. I can't wait to try it.

I love this blog, and I really love her point in this post, that we can find time in the everyday child rearing activities to engage and be mindful. I really appreciate the idea that we don't have to set time aside to meditate to see its benefits throughout our day. We try to make the everyday minutia of caring for children a fun thing that we do together rather than a chore that we rush through. One step in that direction for us has been setting up Ellie's self-care area, which I'll show you soon.

If you like little stuff like this, check out my Pinterest and that of the Simple Lives posters.

Speaking of Simple Lives, it's Thursday so it's time to link up! Please share your posts below, read the other great contributions, and be sure to link back to my blog or a host blog when you do post. How are you keeping life simple these days? The holidays, especially in the time of Pinterest!) can be so overwhelming. I hope this blog hop helps you, as it helps me, remember that keeping it simple is what's best for you and your family.

Soon I plan to tell you about breastfeeding into the second year, Ellie's Montessori nursery makeover, her self-care area, and all the food we're eating to celebrate the season. (Spoiler alert: citrus.)

1. 10 Tips for Healthy Eating During the Holidays by Montana Solar Creations. "As part of my journey to eat healthier, not just during the holidays but year around, I thought it would be fun to share some tips I've learned and incorporate into my eating habits to help you all eat a little healthier during the holidays."

2. Homemade Wood Butter by Prudent Pantry. "Wood butter is a wonderful homemade product that you can use for all of your wood kitchen items from wooden spoons to cutting boards."
3. Quick Cuban Bread by LightlyCrunchy. "This is the fastest, easiest and as a bonus, possibly the cheapest bread you can make."

Full Days and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:55:00 +0000

Despite the fact that the daylight hours are getting shorter and shorter, we have been filling them with more and more. (Side note: toddlers totally don't understand daylight savings time.)

I've been baking granola and cookies.

We have been making pork fried rice with eggs and broccoli. It's a fast weeknight dinner and a good way to get in lots of veggies.

More pancakes.

It's addicting.

Remember when I told you about pan fried apples? Have you tried pan fried bananas? So good. The little ones love them.

This little one in particular.

If you have a moment, please check out my dear friend Maggie's latest work, her 2013 cyanotype letterpress calendars. There is so much love and meaning in each piece. Can you think of a better gift for that person on your list who can be so hard to buy for?

Finally it's Thursday and time for Simple Lives. Please grab this badge and link up your posts. **Be sure to link back to this blog or one of the other two host blogs so we can choose your post for our featured posts next week!**

Wardeh from GNOWFGLINS

Diana from Spain in Iowa

1. Festive Pumpkin Stew by Always Learning. "This is a 'one of a kind' dish."
2. Re-purposed Clothes to Artwork by Practical Stewardship. "This clothes artwork might be a great Christmas gift. This is a really quick and easy craft that you could do with kids."
3. How to turn any Recipe into a Real Food Recipe by Homemade Mommy. "This is the question I get most often. How do I turn my old favorite recipes into Real Food recipes."

Orchard Visit and Pan Fried Apples + SLT

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:17:00 +0000

Last week we took the little one for her first visit to Wilson's apple orchard just outside of town. We couldn't have picked a more beautiful day.

One of the best parts about living in Iowa is that views like this are never more than a few moments away.

She will grow up knowing these places. Like I said in my last post, children connect with the outdoors on a very deep level, and I will do my best to keep her out there as much as I can.

Almost all the apples were already gone from the trees thanks to an early frost.

But we had fun touching the leaves and talking about them anyway. (She has started hugging us recently. It might be the best thing ever.)

We had some apple turnovers and hot coffee.

They were flaky and perfect.

I had intended to make a pie because this is American dammit, but decided to do something nice and simple with some of the apples we bought. We're still not comfortable giving Ellie raw apples (I'll talk more about how we feed her in a post very soon) so we had been roasting them. We decided to simply pan fry some in just a little butter, honey, and cinnamon. She loved them.

To prepare apples I always slice them in half and then use a melon baller to remove the core and seeds. It's so easy and fast. If you're going to pan fry apples, be sure to use firm ones.

I used 2 tbsp. butter for 2 apples over medium heat.

Once the apples soften and the edges start to brown, add just a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

These were soft on the edges but still had a little crunch in the middle, and the heat really brought out all their sweetness and flavor.

We had them with some Salt Fork Farms eggs, maple sausage from the Stamps Family farm, and Wilson's apples. That's a 100% local breakfast!

The little pumpkin celebrated Halloween by painting a pumpkin with her initial on it. In a way this is her first real Halloween, but next year will be even more real.

It's Thursday and that means it's time for Simple Lives!

I just wanted to remind everybody that we three blogs host

Wardeh from GNOWFGLINS

Diana from Spain in Iowa

and me.

and that we'd really appreciate it if you'd link back to one of the host blogs in your post. We love choosing the featured posts each week but we cannot feature your post if you don't link back to one of our host blogs.

Please check out the amazing features and link up below the jump!

1. Upcycled Pantry Organization by Girl Going Country. "I love organizational "stuff". Nooks and crannies. Secret compartments in my car. Boxes and containers. But the cost of all the "cute" organizational items can really add up. I realized I had the perfect organizational "bin" for my pantry but they just weren't cute."

2. Canning Clingstone Peaches Without Sugar by Simply Homemaking. " I bought 100 pounds of peaches...these peaches are not freestone. Often, you can at least twist half of a peach off of the clingstone variety, but in this case, it wasn't working. One half would just get squished. What do do... What to do..."

3. How I Shopped My Own Closet by The Shoestring Contessa. "I subscribe to a few fashion magazines, and one of my favorite things to do is figure out how to recreate the outfits that I see in those pages using what I already have in my own closet..."

More Toys We Love and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 20:17:00 +0000

I was reading a parenting website recently (something I'm trying to do less and less of, honestly) when I saw this quote: "The more a toy does the less the child does" and I really appreciated the sentiment. Around here, we prefer open-ended simple toys that require imagination and creativity from our little one. We are very lucky that E has always enjoyed playing on her own for extended periods of time and loves discovering new things. I thought I'd share some of our favorite simple toys in the spirit of Simple Lives Thursday.

I've posted before about two wood toys we really love, the teether from Schoolhouse Naturals

and blocks.

Elle has gotten very good at stacking the blocks!

Other wood toys we love right now include a big set of blocks in different shapes (like these) which I found used and revived with some homemade spoon butter.

I picked up these wooden spoons at farmer's market for our fifth wedding anniversary. We use them all the time and the baby loves the way they feel. She uses them with her play kitchen. I use the spoon butter to maintain these, too.

Last Christmas my parents made a trip to Ikea and we requested this push cart for Ellie. She loves it so much. She was using it very well before she was a walker and now likes using it to carry things around and sometimes as a chair when she's feeling silly.

Playsilks. Man, where were these when I was a kid?! They are so much fun. Ellie was lucky enough to get two play silks for her birthday (including one with a wood teacher attached to three dyed silks!) and she has had so much fun playing with them. Two of her favorite activities are wrapping things around her neck (seriously) and putting cloth over her face and running around the house. Both of these things are considerably safer with the silks.

This rainbow silk is from Sarah's Silks.

We've been slowly introducing Montessori-style 'work' into Ellie's play routine. Her favorites are these two: a cheese shaker with toothpicks that she has to insert into the little holes

And craft boxes that require matching and getting lids on. This was too complicated for her so she has just been doing one box at a time.

My husband and I are both major music lovers so Elle has more instruments than I can count. Her favorite is her little wooden piano. (Again, she's learned that sitting on it is pretty fun, too.)

Finally, the outdoors. This girl has never ever been bored when I let her sit outside. She is in love with plants, just like her mama. Being in the fresh air is so calming to children. We just roll out a blanket and stare at everything we can see. I can't wait until we can take long walks around the block and collect treasures.

What are your favorite toys from your childhood or for your little ones? I'd love some more inspiration.

I should note that we rotate Ellie's toys so she never has too many at once. It works great for us because she gets bored with toys less quickly and is very happy to see her old friends return.

Finally, it's Simple Lives Thursday! Check it out and link up! **PLEASE be sure to link back to my blog when you add your post!***

1. A Healthier Organic Caramel Apple Recipe by Whole Lifestyle Nutrition. "Wow... that is the first word that comes to mind when I describe these delicious caramel apples."
2. Extending the Harvest-- Hot Bed Style by City Sister Country Sister. "...the Tribune Review wrote an article about a hot bed, and that got me thinking. For less than the cost of lettuce for the winter I could grow my own."

3. Cilantro Pecan Chicken by Holistic Kid. "There is nothing like turning a classic cuisine staple into a pretty little, nutrient dense show stopper like this Cilantro Pecan Chicken."

Healthier Blondies and Simple Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 14:21:00 +0000

It is fall.

The nights are crisp and cool, and though it's too late to help my garden, the drought has broken and rain has come. Maybe it's just me, but I think the sky is somehow bluer when the weather turns cold.

There are still plenty of times during the day when it's warm enough to have the widow's open. The big kid has really enjoyed sitting in her high chair and eating in front of the open window, staring into the backyard. This photo is a couple weeks old and now that maple tree is bright yellow.

I forgot to share this sweet photo earlier. This is Ellie enjoying her first birthday cake! She was quite dainty about it, actually, and thought the sprinkles were the most interesting.

She's really eating like a big kid now. She drinks out of a cup and uses a fork and spoon. (Not that she does those things properly all the time, of course.) She's actually getting sick of this high chair (which, by the way, was made by my great grandfather and used by all the children in my family including me) so she's spending more and more time at her weaning table.

Playing with the last of the chard from our CSA.

Stem is less than tasty though.

We've been doing lots of stacking and pouring exercises. I'll show you those sometime soon.
I love this kid.

But for now I'd like to share this recipe that we've been enjoying since I first made it a few weeks ago. It's for blondies and is made with garbanzo beans. The result is a healthier treat that's high in fiber. It does have a bit of sugar, though, so eat in moderation. Each bar has around 200 calories if my calculations are correct. Use dried beans, dark chocolate chips, and the least processed sugar you can find. I haven't tried substituting honey but I bet it would work.

Healthy Blondies
by Chocolate Covered Katie

1.5 c. chickpeas
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar (I used organic evaporated cane juice)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. old fashioned oats
1/4 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Whir everything but the chips in your food processor.

Process until smooth. Then add the chips. If you want them to stay whole, stir them in. If you don't care, pulse a couple times in the processor.

Smooth it all out into an 8x8 pan and dot a few chips on the top.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. It will probably look underdone. Let them cool before digging in.

Easy.

Finally, it's Simple Lives! Link up and check it out!

1. Make lip balm! (all natural, of course) by Thank Your Body. "Ready to make lip balm? This all natural, tinted lip balm is so lovely"

2. Leftovers: Potato Edition by Eliza K. "With only two people in the house and bulk sizes being a better deal, we end up throwing away a lot of food that has gone bad. I've decided to be more pro-active in what I put into the fridge and ultimately where that food ends up. "
3. The Granny Style Washcloth by The Parsimonious Princess. "The washcloths look like something my grandma would have made if she knitted ."